Fear of Homelessness Looms Large in a Mumbai Slum

Amol Lalzare is an auto-rickshaw driver and a community journalist from Mumbai. He documents life and struggles of the marginalised communities in the maximum city. Amol Lalzare balances life as an auto-rickshaw driver and a community journalist who is documenting life and struggles of the marginalised communities in Mumbai, the financial capital of India. Previously a camera person in Bollywood, Amol found that the film world does provide for survival, but not enough for the mind. “We were just puppets for directors who worked long working hours, in the background.” Having learned the aesthetics of film-making from the largest film…

15th July 2015 | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Amol Lalzare

The residents of Sathe Nagar, a slum close to the Mumbai airport, do not know when the roof over their heads will disappear. Since 2006, surveys have been conducted in silence and demolitions underway as part of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s (SRA) plan to make Mumbai slum free in the coming years.

Under the scheme, land on which slums currently stand will be taken over by builders after establishing consent from the community. The scheme also proposes to re-house those currently living in slums (if they have proof that they’ve been residents since before 2000).

Those evicted, still await rehabilitation. This community finds themselves caught between corrupt builders and the apathy of the SRA. Most don’t know what they are entitled to or what laws protect them.

Call to Action: To report the irregularities in the implementation of the SRA schemes, please call the Slum Rehabilitation Authority Cell on +91 2226590519 Or +91 2226590405.